2008 Seattle Mariners

The 2007 MLB season was a vast improvement over the 2006 season for the Seattle Mariners. They went from a last place average in the AL West in 2006 to a second place average in AL West in 2007 – not too shabby! Now fans are hoping they can continue this trend and make it to the playoffs in 2008. To that end, they’ve overhauled their pitching staff, signing Carlos Silva and trading 5 players, including the promising Adam Jones and George Sherrill, for starting pitcher Érik Bédard. The Bédard trade wasn’t cheap, but the Mariners are betting he’ll be enough to get them to the next level of performance – and make them contenders for the AL West title. Everyone will want to see if the controversial Bédard trade pays off, so tickets to Safeco Field won’t last long. Get your tickets now and see what the Seattle Mariners can do in 2008!

A Rough Start

The Seattle Mariners began play in 1977 as part of baseball’s expansion into new cities in the late 1970’s. The Mariners had few highlights in their first decade and a half, failing to have a winning season until 1991.

The team changed dramatically in 1989 when, with the first overall pick in the draft, they selected Ken Griffey Jr. Junior, as he was known, quickly became the face of the franchise. Shortly thereafter the Mariners filled their team with a number of all star caliber players to complement Griffey. Amongst them were Edgar Martinez, Alex Rodriguez, Jay Buhner, and Randy Johnson. That nucleus lifted the Mariners to their first postseason appearance in 1995 where they defeated the Yankees to reach the AL Championship Series.

Ichiro Suzuki

The Mariners would make the playoffs off and on over the next several years. Then, in 2001, the team won an American League record with 116 wins. Despite their historic season, the Mariners were defeated in the first round of the playoffs. That year also saw the arrival of one of the most exciting players in the game: Ichiro Suzuki. Ichiro took home both the MVP and Rookie of the Year honors on his way to leading the league in hits, batting average, and stolen bases.

Even though Martinez, Buhner, Griffey Jr, and Johnson are gone, Ichiro remains and the team is still very competitive in the AL West. Playing against their longtime rivals the A’s, Angels, and Rangers makes winning the division tough, but this year’s Mariners team, under new Manager John McLaren, is up for the task.

New Stadium

After 21 years playing in the Seattle Kingdome, the Mariners moved into brand new Safeco Field in 1999. Safeco has earned a reputation as a beautiful place to watch a game. Sweeping views of downtown and picturesque sunsets over Puget Sound combine with excellent views of the field from any seat to make watching a game in Seattle a joy.